Application form and research plan

You are requested to add attachments to your application. Your application will not be processed without the required attachments.

You only need to upload each attachment once. Do not upload multiple copies of the same attachments.

Scan all the pages of the required document or take good quality pictures. Make sure that the pictures/scans are legible.

Scan the documents in correct orientation so that a horizontal document is displayed horizontally and a vertical document is displayed vertically.

Combine the pages of the same document into one file. For example, a transcript of records should be in one file that can include several pages. Do not combine multiple different documents into one file.

Upload documents to the correct sections provided for each document.

Submit your application and all the documents as early as possible. Do not leave submitting the application form or uploading the documents to the last day.

Recommended file format is PDF.

Start by providing your personal details. Note that you cannot edit your personal information after you have submitted your application for the first time.

Attach a picture/scan of your passport's personal information page, or a picture/scan of your national ID.

Tell us about the degree that (e.g., master's degree, licentiate of medicine). If your degree included a thesis, you must write a brief summary of it (max 1500 characters).

Attach regarding this degree to your application.

You can also include details about one additional relevant degree or studies (e.g., bachelor's degree, second master's degree, specialized training) that you think might be beneficial for your application. This is not compulsory information, and many apply with just the qualifying degree. If you give the details of another degree, attach regarding it to your application.

Note that if you are admitted to a doctoral programme you must be able to present either electronically verifiable or officially certified (paper) copies of all the educational documents you have attached to your application.

University of Helsinki demands an indication of academic level language skills in either Finnish, Swedish or English of all applicants. the language does not need to be the language of your doctoral thesis.

Please see more information on the .

You can prove your language skills either with your educational background or a language test. First choose the language you want to prove your proficiency in, and then choose the method of proving your language skills from the drop-down menu.

If you are proving your language skills with a degree or education for which you have not yet attached copies of the educational documents to your application, please attach them in this section.

In addition, you must choose the language of your thesis.

The following questions will ensure that your application is processed and evaluated by the right specialists.

Choose the Doctoral programme(s) you are applying for, Some of the application form's questions will be visible only when you have chosen a programme to apply to.

Programme specific questions

In this section, the questions are programme specific. If you are applying for more than one programme you must answer all the following questions for each programme separately.

• Choose a faculty and a target degree that match your educational background and planned research.
• Field of research ()

Check the selection criteria for your programme for required supervision arrangements:

• Do you need to have a committed supervisor in the application phase.
• Check your faculty's requirements for the coordinating academic.
• Some programmes expect you to have  already when you are applying. Check your programme's requirements for a thesis committee.
• Do you need a signed supervision agreement or some other document showing your supervision arrangements? If yes, attach the required document here.

If you have three supervisors you must give reasons for the need for three supervisors (2000 characters).

Motivation for conducting doctoral research (2000 characters) 

• Describe your motivation for conducting doctoral research in general and for this topic in particular. Also explain why you have chosen the doctoral programme you are applying to.

Preliminary study plan

Write your study plan for discipline-specific studies in the next fields. Please see the university's for information on the doctoral degree's scope and structure. 

List the courses that you are interested in:

• Discipline-specific studies (20 ECTS) (1500 characters)

Write your study plan for transferable skills in the next field. Please see the university's for information on the doctoral degree's scope and structure. 

List the courses that you are interested in:

• Transferable skills (10 ECTS) (1500 characters)

If you have already completed some doctoral studies you can indicate the amount of ECTS gained so far.

You will write your research plan in the application form's answer fields. Free form research plans are not accepted. Note that the answer fields have character limits. Spaces count as characters.

Research plan

• Preliminary title of the doctoral thesis
• Brief summary of the research plan (2000 characters)
• Research plan contains mathematical special characters or chemical formulas.
  • If your research plan contains mathematical special characters or chemical formulas, you can attach it here in PDF-format. The research plan must contain the same items as the electronic form, not exceeding the maximum number of characters per item. Please see the doctoral programme website for possible additional instructions.
  • A free-form research plan is not accepted.
• Have you used artificial intelligence to draw up your research plan or application?
  • Read the University of Helsinki guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence in and .
  • If yes: How have you used artificial intelligence? (2000 characters).

The background and aims of the research project

• What is the clinical relevance of your research? (2000 characters
  • Question only for applicants to Doctoral programme in Clinical Research
• Rationale for the research project (2000 characters)
  • How is the project linked to previous research? What are the most significant theoretical and methodological premises of the project?
• Objectives of the research and scientific impact of research results (2000 characters)
  • What are the objectives of the project? Shortly present the hypotheses and the research questions. Describe the expected research result and their anticipated novelty value in terms of the research field and the current scientific discussion on the research topic. You may also shortly outline the reach, potential applications and utilization value of the research beyond the scientific community.

Research methods and material

• Research methods and materials to be used and its significance for the project (3500 characters)
  • Outline the research methods, described so as to explain how they will contribute to answering the research questions/confirming the hypotheses, or how they will support the chosen approach.
• Preliminary plan on the collection, usage and storage of the research material (1500 characters)
  • Briefly describe how you plan to collect the research material and use it. Are there any data protection or copyright issues related to data storage that need to be taken into account? Is it possible to make the data available for the use of other researchers?
• Ethical issues (1000 characters)
  • Are there ethical issues (e.g. ethical governance procedures, informed consent, and anonymity of subjects) that need to be taken into account when conducting the research? Does conducting the research require a research permit or a permit from the ethical board and/or the Animal Experiment Board?

Works cited

• The most important literature for the research plan (2500 characters) 

Implementation: Schedule and funding plan

• Form of the dissertation - article based dissertation or monograph
  • An article-based dissertation consists of peer-reviewed scholarly publications or manuscripts intended for publication, discussing a single group of issues, as well as a summarizing report describing the background and objectives of the research, the methods and materials used, as well as the results, discussion and conclusion of the research. The number of articles required depends on their a) scope, b) scientific quality and significance and c) publishing forum, as well as d) the author’s independent contribution.
  • A monograph dissertation is a consistent scholarly work in the name of the doctoral candidate alone and based on independent research and previously unpublished research results. The maximum scope of a monograph is, as a rule, 250 pages.
• Publication plan and timetable for the articles or Preliminary outline of the monograph (1500 characters)
• Preliminary timetable for your research (2000 characters)
• Planned funding for the research project including received and applied notable funding thus far (1000 characters)

Here you can describe your skills and experience in a CV-like format.

• Previously acquired research knowledge (1500 characters)
  • Previous experience in research work, other scientific work and/or scientific merits, including possible academic awards and other academic acknowledgements.
• Possible previous publications and conference presentations (1500 characters).
• Possible previous international experience and other work experience relevant to your doctoral research (1500 characters).
• Possible previous career breaks (1500 characters).
  • Here you have the option to list reasons that may have caused delay in your studies (for example: possible family leaves, military or civilian service).

Finally you must indicate your contact language, give consent to electronic communication and affirm that all given information is correct. 

The application cannot be saved as a draft. To avoid losing unsaved data it is advisable to prepare your answers in a separate file so you can easily copy your answers to the application form. 

The saved application can be edited until the end of the application round.

You will receive an email after you have successfully saved the application. Keep an eye on your email for possible requests to supplement your application.

Attachments to the application can be supplemented within seven (7) days after the application deadline. If your application is still incomplete after this, it will not proceed to academic evaluation.